The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-07-21
See Comrade Taylor's adv. on page s.
TIE ELEVENTH CORPS.
The Tlrat Day ri cttyshurg-FxceptiOns 60 Ger
.Lnhn @. Rnhnsnn's Statcmenis.

The flRt Day N GCttyShurg-FNceptlOns 10 Gen.
JOHN q. kohinson's Statements.
EDTToR NATIONAL tribune: In Mai.-Gen.
John c. Bob.nson's article on the services of
the First Corps at Gettysburg, he says:
Amer the fail Of Reynolds the command fell on
Gen. Howard Of the Eleventh Corps, who ordered
Stcnwehr's Division aud the corps artillery 70 Ice
placed rs reserve on Cemetery Hill, while Barlow
and Nchimmclplennig, now commanding Nchurzs
Division were ordered through the village to pro-
long the line of the First Corps Ia the direction OF
Oak iliil; hut Radc-'s Division, OF Ewclls Corps
had already occupied TINT Hill with strong force OF
artillery and infantry, hc acknowledging halted
his division la the open field m front Of the Penn
sNlvauia College near the town, with Barlow on
his right. II has been stated that Dllger's
and Nhcclcrs batteries OF the Eleventh Corps hle
the space between The right Of tie llist ana Tell 81
the Eleventh Gorps. If this Is true, they were not
seen nor were their guns beard by any man OF the
Firsi Corps. While in this position the
Eleventh Corps suffered severely, hut was not able
10 inflict much damage TO the enemy. The attnek
of Earlys Division, advancing on We YORK ROAD
drove the Eleventh Corps from the Held.
The writer was during that campaign on
the staff of Gen. Schimmelpfenng and on the
march from Emmittsburg TO Gettysburg with a
detail Of 40 Corporas, one from each company
Of the brigade, marched in the rear as rear
guard TO keep up stragglers. We followed
Schimmelpfennig's Division through the town
and halted near the Pennsylvania College.
Schimmelpfennig's Division was in an open field
near the town. rs Gen. Robinson says. Dill
on Oak Hin that was doing fearful execution
10 our tooops in the open field.
Soon an order came for me 10 go forward
with my command TO support Dllgers battery,
which did. Schimmeif ennig's Division ad-
vancod la the open field, its left resting on the
MummGsburg road. Ii advanced nearly 10 Oak
Hin. then wheeled TO the right. and was soon
holly engaged with Rodess Division, but held
its ground tiil overwhelmed by superior num-
bers Dlger's battery advanced 10 get better
range on the battery on the HILL which he soon
silenoed and then turned his guns on the ad-
vancing infantry Of the enemy.
Before Schimmelpfenuig's Division advanced
lis losses were slight When IL met the over
whelming force il stood its ground till some
regiments were nearly annihilated. My own
regiment the 18th n. Y lost more at that
place than any other New York regiment NJ
Gettysburg. according TO the report OF the COM
mittee on marking positions for New York
State monuments
The hardest fghting was three quarters Of a
mile north Of the town, when Gen. Robinson
says the divisions were near the town"
was with Capt. Dlger when the order TO re-
treat came so him, aud rode OF the field with
him. Before we left we saw troops retreating
over the Hill toward the town, which proved
10 be the First Corps, as / saw members OF the
10th n. Y with whom was acquainted
We kept on through the town aud made the
stand at Cemetery hill, where the First Corps
soon Joined Us. When the rear of the Eleventh
Corps passed through the village the rebels
were entering from both east and west so that
the First Corps could not have held out much
longer than the Eleventh. Gen. Schimmel-
pfonnig's horse was shot in the village by rebels
coming from the west, where the First had
just left. The General hid in a woodhouse, and
was concealed under pile OF wood, and Joined
us on Cemetery Hill.
write this in yindication of the Eleventh
Corps at Gettsburg. Had not the two divis-
ions held them in check the First Corps would
all have had "trip South, y Tor they would
soon have been surrounded, aud Cemetery
Hill not in our hands but i'm possession of the
enemy. The Eleventh did not fight NIT
Siegel aud q" run NIT Howard at Gettysburg
! but did fight mi" Howard.-GEO. l.. WAR.
Rem, Captain, Co. Z, l57th N. ", Cortland
| NY